Michigan football offers Youngstown State WR transfer C.J. Charleston
Michigan Wolverines football has offered Youngstown State wide receiver transfer C.J. Charleston, he announced on social media. Since entering the NCAA transfer portal April 26, Charleston has also reported an offer from Mercer.
The 6-foot, 190-pounder spent five seasons at Youngstown State but still has two years of eligibility remaining due to redshirting in 2019, the COVID season in 2020 and missing the entire 2022 campaign with an Achilles injury.
Charleston has a connection with Michigan, having been coached by U-M offensive analyst Josh Sinagoga. The analyst coached the Penguin wide receivers from 2020-21 before moving to quarterbacks in 2022. He joined the Wolverines’ staff in 2023.
The Gates Mill, Ohio, native reeled in 33 receptions (third on his team) for 503 yards (also third) and 4 touchdowns (tied second) in 2023 for the Penguins, who compete at the FCS level.
He had 10 multi-catch outings, setting a season-high with 6 grabs for 119 yards in a 48-28 win over Robert Morris. Youngstown State played against one FBS opponent last season — Big Ten rival Ohio State — and Charleston racked up 1 catch for 7 yards in that 35-7 loss in Columbus. Charleston tallied 3 receptions for 18 yards in a 42-14 loss to a Michigan State in 2021, marking his only other appearance versus an FBS squad.
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The 2023 season was a resurgent one for Charleston after missing 2022. He said he “almost shed tears” after his first touchdown of the year.
“There were times last year I didn’t think I was ever going to play football again,” Charleston said per the Tribune Chronicle. “My mind — I was messed up mentally, and today I was just happy to be back out there with my guys.”
Charleston saw 5 of his receptions come on passes of 20-plus yards and 6 of them on throws between 10-19 yards. The other 22 were on passes within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage.
Youngstown State finished the 2023 season 8-5 overall and 5-3 in conference play.
Charleston notched 16 catches for 147 yards in 2021, before missing the 2022 season with the aforementioned injury. He had 7 grabs for 112 yards in the spring 2021 season, after playing in four games and amassing 5 catches for 105 yards in 2019.
Michigan has brought in an FCS transfer wide receiver in recent years, with Daylen Baldwin joining the program from Jackson State. In his lone year with the Maize and Blue in 2021, Baldwin caught 17 passes for 256 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Michigan has just seven wide receivers on scholarship — senior Peyton O’Leary, junior Tyler Morris, sophomores Kendrick Bell, Fredrick Moore and Semaj Morgan and freshmen Channing Goodwin and I’Marion Stewart. Offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell said April 20 that he hopes to boost the numbers, adding to the depth.
“I think we’ve got some explosive guys. And obviously, I think it’s a top-loaded room,” Campell said. “We need to get some guys to help out there. We probably will look at some guys in that position — how many, I’m not sure.
“We just don’t even have numbers. You look at the roster depth, you need enough guys. Hamstring injuries are going to happen, quad injuries. So we just got to make sure we have enough guys to field the roster.”
